Commenting on the publication of the Migration Advisory Committee final report on EEA migration, Director of Universities Scotland, Alastair Sim said:
Our starting position with the Migration Advisory Committee was that staff from the EEA are a vital part of the success of Scotland’s universities. That remains unchanged. Today’s MAC report reaffirms that EU migrants are a net benefit to life in Scotland.
We agree that the cap on high skilled workers should be scrapped. We need also to be able to attract emerging talent, for instance the early-career researcher whose salary may not meet the £30,000 threshold.
We also think the future immigration system needs to meet the specific demographic and skills requirements of Scotland, where an ageing population benefits from the ideas, earnings and energy of high-talent migrants. Our nation’s success depends on our ability to attract talent.